The present invention relates to measuring and reporting network service usage. More particularly, this invention relates to determining packet data session usage for the purposes of charging an account.
While cellular wireless communication systems were originally designed to transmit voice communications, increasingly these networks have been modified to also support data communications, such as packet based data communications. With the advent of Internet Protocol (IP), networks began sending data in packets and using IP addresses to route the data to its final destination. In time, wireless networks started to become data capable and would assign an IP address to a mobile node for the purpose of sending data to the mobile node. Packet data communications allow users to retrieve various types of content such as email, movies, websites, and files as well as voice communications.
Generally, interconnection between devices is standardized to a certain degree based on the International Organization for Standardization's definition of a model for Open Systems Interconnection (OSI). OSI uses a seven layer model to define modes of interconnection between different components in networking systems. Among the seven layers, layer-3 (L3) is the network layer that is concerned with the delivery of packets of data. This layer defines the address structure of the network and how packets should be routed between end systems. IP, Mobile IP (MIP), and Internet Packet Exchange (IPX) are examples of network layer protocols. Users can use mobile nodes, such as a cell phone, to access various types of content with packet data. However, a problem emerges on how to charge a user for the use of the packet data communications. With voice communications, this is typically measured by the duration of the call from initiation of the voice call to the termination of the call because the user would have a dedicated line on which to speak. For packet data communications resources may be used only when packets are being transmitted. Thus, a couple of charging methods can be used such as charging by the volume of data used, by assessing a flat recurring fee (e.g., on a monthly basis), or by the duration the service is used (e.g., time user is connected). It would, therefore, be desirable to measure packet data communications for service used for the purposes of charging a user.